Starred review from February 1, 2025
Casey's latest (after A Stranger in the Family, 2024) features taut suspense, stomach-churning violence, and a plot where nothing is what it seems. Police officer Rob Langton goes deep undercover, using Mark as his cover name. His mission? To insinuate himself into the family of crime lord Geraint Carter and bring his gang down. At first, things go smoothly, but Mark is constantly tense, fearing exposure. The more he learns about Carter, his cocaine-addicted son Bruno, and the rest of the family, the more his apprehension increases. Then he discovers that Carter plans to move his gang into the big time by creating chaos in a large public venue, then blaming "the dirty immigrants" Carter believes are taking over the country. A trial run involves an attack on the London Underground, but things go awry, and Mark fears he'll be blamed. Worse is to come: a brutal murder and subsequent cover-up, a terrifying threat to Mark's ex-girlfriend, Maeve (who's starred in Casey's previous thrillers), and the near certainty that his true identity has been uncovered bring this dark, tense, roller-coaster ride of a thriller to a stunning, pulse-pounding conclusion. A riveting read for fans of Harlan Coben and Don Winslow.
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